“ALL SARX IS NOT THE SAME SARX”

 “...RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth.” – 2Ti 2:15

The Apostle Paul may not have had the “Sarx controversy” in mind when he told the Corinthian church, “All sarx is not the same sarx (“All flesh is not the same flesh”; 1Co 15:39), but his choice of words has become of very real significance to us today.

During sermons, we are often asked to “crucify the flesh”, but I never saw anyone put up their hands to ask, “which flesh?”

This lack of distinction and clarification has not only led to frustration among God-loving Believers, but actual heresy in some segments of the Church.

There is the obvious “flesh” that refers to our corpus: our body, the physical ‘meat’ with which we see, feel, taste or otherwise interact with the physical universe.

Then there’s the “flesh” that refers to the carnal, un-renewed MIND. (Of course, “flesh” also has many other meanings in the NT).

We should know that it is of great advantage to the Devil that we focus our energies on our body and neglect the mind. The physical body is not your enemy, your mind is. If the body is the source of our sinful predilections, then the ICU of hospitals should contain the holiest people on earth.

When Paul beseeched us to be living sacrifices (Rom 12:1,2), he qualified it by asking us to be “transformed BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND”.

Some persons, for example, have tried to suppress lust through dry fastings and literal flogging of the body, only to find the monster raise its ugly head days later. It never occurs to them that maybe they’ve been flogging the wrong “sarx”. 

Let’s learn from our Lord’s teaching (see Mk 721-23) and focus on the right “sarx”; when we do that, the body will follow.

 “Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything.” – 2 Timothy 2:7 (AMP)

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN